THE HISTORY OF DIAMONDS

The exceptional purity, rarity and brilliance of diamonds have made them the most precious stones in the world and the absolute symbol of eternal love. Their name comes from the Greek "Adamas," meaning invincible, in reference to their extreme hardness.

DIAMONDS AND CHANEL

"If I have chosen diamonds, it is because they represent the highest value in the smallest volume." Gabrielle Chanel
Eternal and unchanging, the diamond was Mademoiselle Chanel's favorite stone. In 1932, it was to diamonds that she dedicated her first collection of Fine Jewelry, "Bijoux de diamants." This is why CHANEL Fine Jewelry selects the finest diamonds to inspire its incomparable creativity. All rights reserved.

THE QUALITY CRITERIA FOR DIAMONDS

Diamonds come in a variety of colors, ranging from the so-called "colorless," whose coloration is classified in accordance with an internationally recognized scale, to those rarer cases of diamonds with clearly-defined colors, such as yellow, blue, pink, champagne, black or green.A diamond's quality depends on perfect combinations of 4 criteria, subject to endless variations that make each gem unique.

THE QUALITY CRITERIA FOR DIAMONDS - Clarity

The clarity of a diamond is determined by the number and size of visible inclusions in the stone.

THE QUALITY CRITERIA FOR DIAMONDS - Color

Ideal diamonds are generally distinguished by the absence of color.
Thus the more colorless a diamond is, the more precious and the rarer it is.
An international standard attributes the letter "D" to totally colorless diamonds, with the remaining letters used to measure tints appearing in the stone.

THE QUALITY CRITERIA FOR DIAMONDS - Cut

The cut is the element which enhances a diamond's qualities, thus revealing its incomparable brilliance.
Excellent proportions combined with perfectly symmetrical facets enable light to be captured and the carefully-selected stone to reveal its true brilliance.

THE QUALITY CRITERIA FOR DIAMONDS - Carat

The word "carat" refers to the seeds of the carob tree, used in Antiquity to measure the weight of a diamond, and has been the international standard unit of measurement since 1907. A carat is equivalent to 0.20 grams.

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DIAMOND SELECTION

In its constant search for perfection, CHANEL Fine Jewelry includes in the diamond selection process an examination by an expert gemologist who takes the time to examine each gem.

In this way, CHANEL Fine Jewelry offers exceptional diamonds that are among the finest in the world.

CERTIFICATION

For each round cut center diamond of a weight equivalent to or greater than 1 carats, CHANEL Fine Jewelry provides a certificate issued by the internationally renowned laboratory of the GIA (Gemological Institute of America)

This certificate is a veritable identity card for each stone, indicating its composition in terms of the 4Cs, but also providing a body of supplementary information attesting to the exceptional quality of a CHANEL Fine Jewelry diamond.

CHANEL FINE JEWELRY'S PROMISE

CHANEL encourages respect for strict ethical standards in terms of sourcing. Each diamond sold in a CHANEL Fine Jewelry boutique comes from legal sources, in full compliance with the certification system of the Kimberley Process, as defined by the United Nations.

Under the guarantee system instituted by this process, each partner undertakes to provide a certificate attesting in writing that the diamonds are sourced from non-conflict countries.

This particular vigilance helps ensure the credibility of the diamond trade, eradicating the circulation of stones from countries in situations of armed conflict.